Saudi Arabia is “considering” to begin a nuclear weapons program.
Saudi Arabia, in response to the current upheaval in the Middle East, has embarked on a strategic review that includes acquiring nuclear weapons, the Guardian has learned.This new threat of proliferation in one of the most dangerous regions of the world comes on top of a crisis over Iran’s alleged nuclear programme.
A strategy paper being considered at the highest levels in Riyadh sets out three options:
· To acquire a nuclear capability as a deterrent;
· To maintain or enter into an alliance with an existing nuclear power that would offer protection;
· To try to reach a regional agreement on having a nuclear-free Middle East.
Until now, the assumption in Washington was that Saudi Arabia was content to remain under the US nuclear umbrella. But the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US has steadily worsened since the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington: 15 of the 19 attackers were Saudi.
It is not known whether Saudi Arabia has taken a decision on any of the three options. But the fact that it is prepared to contemplate the nuclear option is a worrying development.
Saudi Arabia is a disgusting Islamic dictatorship which brutalizes its people, has very little conception of individual rights, and is heavily influenced by Islamic Fundamenatlism. In fact, Saudi Arabia is one of the key financiers of Islamic terrorism
For example, they are the main financier of the Islamic fundamentalist terrorist group, Hamas, whose mission is the destruction of Israel through the process of murdering innocent women, children, and all Israeli citizens.
New York, September 17: At least 50 per cent of the Palestinian militant outfit Hamas’s current budget of about five million dollars a year, comes from people in Saudi Arabia, top US officials said.After the September 11 terror attacks, the Saudi portion of Hamas financing grew larger as donations from the US, Europe and other Persian Gulf countries dried up, a media report said on Wednesday quoting American officials and analysts.
The estimated donations coming from Saudi Arabia - about five million dollars a year - are a significant sum for Hamas but a very small portion of the hundreds of millions of dollars that flow into Saudi charities each year, officials said.
Nearly all the donations are given in cash, making it extremely difficult for Saudi and American authorities to track the money, the The New York Times report said.
Saudi Arabia has dismissed the claims, asserting that it contributes solely to the Palestinian authority. “It’s a ridiculous accusation; no Saudi government money goes to Hamas, directly or indirectly,” said Adel Al-Jubeir, the Foreign Affairs Adviser to Prince Abdullah.
“Why on earth would we not stop this kind of funding? Why on earth would our crown prince say we do not want to support Hamas and then allow people to do this under the table?” Saudi officials were quoted as saying their government’s support for Palestinian causes goes solely to the Palestinian authority, about 80 million dollars to 100 million dollars a year.
But the report said that a senior Hamas leader personally thanked Saudi crown Prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz in 2002 for the financial support that his group received.
In October 2002 in Riyadh, senior Hamas leader Khalid Mishaal thanked the group’s Saudi benefactors, saying, “This is indeed a brave posture deserving appreciation,” as per a document on the meeting.
A summary of the meeting, organised by the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, a Riyadh-based charitable organisation, was seized by the Israeli military during a raid in Gaza in December, 2002 and recently given to the The New York Times by a former Israeli official, the daily said.
Even if the claim by the Saudi government is true, that they only finance the Palestinian Authority, such support IS support of terrorist organizations since the Palestinian is a government which harbors and supports numerous terrorist groups (Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah, etc.)
And yet, for some reason, we are “allies” with Saudi Arabia. We have a military base with U.S. troops in the country, and we continue to support the existence of the Saudi Arabian dictatorship.
This support should have never existed in the first place, but we shall see how deep this support runs if the Saudi Arabians begin to develop a nuclear weapons program….
